


Nothing Remains But The Cry

by melliyna



Category: Pundit RPF, Pundit RPF (US)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Gen, Hate Crimes, POV Multiple, Regret, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-22
Updated: 2012-10-22
Packaged: 2017-11-16 19:19:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/542958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melliyna/pseuds/melliyna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It turns out that purity and principles taste a lot like self righteous loneliness. Keith Olbermann and regrets, of a sort. Title from the lyrics to 'what have I done' from Les Miserables.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Remains But The Cry

**Author's Note:**

> Written because I am currently in an anger/disappointment/feeling sad for phrase with Keith Olbermann and also because as a biracial person of colour thinking of living in the US/dealing with racism the first scenario has been haunting my dreams for a long time and is thus very personal

He’s shot going home. Just about to turn in to his street - he’d had his house keys in his hand. Not a robbery and not random either, the police say.

Lawrence calls up about fifteen different DC sources that night to get the version they didn't release to the press and wishes he hadn't.

The YouTube video claiming responsibility goes up two days after - an anti immigrant, anti Obama group.

Richards wife and daughters move back to England. The funeral is there, largely for Richards parents who can’t travel.

They all struggle with words.

Keith finds he is not invited. But then why would he be, in the end? He’d dug that hole. Those holes, plural.

-

They killed Chris as he held Ryan in his arms. She’s not hurt, but she’s covered in blood and it’s beyond Rachels ability to describe that afternoon. She wishes she could, if only to give Chris the eulogy he deserves.

She and Ezra and Melissa try, anyway. It was an extremist - a right winger angry about well, everything.

That’s when Lawrence decks Joe and no one complains or brings it up.

Keith doesn't even try to call.

-

He’s struck by the feeling that he should have been there. He should have been in the studio delivering that special comment for them. But the last time, the last time they’d talked he’d called Richard a corporate whore and Chris a sell-out and tweeted that Rachel was ungrateful.

The words are thick on his tongue. The damage is already done and there’s no eulogy, no apologetic column or broadcast that can right this wrong done by a self righteous hand.

Keith thinks for the first time in his life, he might actually understand the hole he’s dug for himself. But it’s too late. Far far too late.

They've already gone.

-

Rachel dies at home, surrounded by family and her friends and the accolades of the media and political leaders. She's lived a happy life and a long one, the obituary written by a friend of hers, says. 

It's not Keith who is asked to write this. He wasn't asked to see her because it never occurred to anyone that he would want to be there or want to be asked. He's never called, after all. And that's when it hits him - that he's made himself nicely alone on this pure moral high horse. 

So he sits there and watches Rachel being eulogized on TV.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [now you are here (again beside me)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/543961) by [queenfanfiction](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenfanfiction/pseuds/queenfanfiction)




End file.
